Last week was one of those weeks where nothing seemed to go right. I didn't feel good, I woke up late for a class, and I was extremely irritable. It got to the point where I just began to expect things to go wrong. In fact, I'd be lying if I said that my life wasn't a series of unfortunate events.
It was easy for me to let the irritating parts of my day overrule all the little blessings I was also receiving. Because everything was going left, I ignored all of the things that were actually going right. I chose to let the negatives outweigh the positives and because of that, my entire week was negatively impacted.
Don't you see? Life has never been perfect and life never will be perfect. It is inevitable that we go through hardships day to day. The good news, though, is that God rewards us for going through tough times.
Maybe you're as lucky as I am and, right now, you're only dealing with minor inconveniences. Maybe, though, you aren't so lucky. Maybe you lost someone you really love, or your finances are weighing on your shoulders. Maybe you found out you have a sickness and you're scared. In the middle of all this, it's easy to forget how blessed you truly are.
I had to take a step back and see the bigger picture to fully grasp this concept. However, once I decided that holding onto the negatives would only make my week worse, I realized that my life is so much better than I was letting myself believe.
I am blessed enough to call some of the prettiest souls my dear friends. I am blessed enough to be able to call my mom and hear her calming, nurturing voice. I am blessed enough to go home when things get too tough and hug my dad. I'm blessed enough to breathe clearly, learn without limitations, and work for people that I truly appreciate. I woke up this morning with a roof over my head, coffee waiting in the pot, and food in the fridge, ready to be eaten. How could I let something as trivial as oversleeping overshadow all the great things God has given me?
Instead of putting all your focus and energy on the negative parts of your day, choose to put that energy towards something you love - something you're passionate about. Use the little inconveniences you're sure to come across as motivation and fuel to be more appreciative. God gives His toughest battles to His toughest soldiers, and He promises good in return.
You are blessed. Regardless of what your current situation may be, never forget the little things. One day, when we're older and looking back on our lives, we aren't going to remember the days that gave us troubles. In fact, we probably won't even remember them. All that matters in the end is how grateful you were for the blessings God gave you.
Today, and every day after, I am choosing to start my days with a grateful heart. After all, there really is so much to be grateful for.
